What Really Happens To Your Body When You Inhale Nail Polish Remover Fumes

Manicures are a big part of most beauty regimens and there's nothing quite like a fresh coat of nail polish, with or without nail art. But eventually, nail polish remover will come into the picture when your current manicure looks ruined, either by getting chipped or even if it gets smudged before it dries, per Healthline.

Nail polish removers work by breaking down and dissolving nail polish due to the presence of solvents like acetone and ethyl acetate. There are DIY nail polish removers, and there are regular commercially produced nail polish removers. According to Self, commercially produced nail polish removers can be divided into two — acetone and non-acetone nail polish removers.

Acetone is commonly found in the more traditional liquid nail polish removers. Although it is very efficient, acetone can also be very harsh on the nails and the skin around it. It can also leave your nails feeling damaged or dry because it removes a lot of natural oils from the skin. If you have brittle nails, you may want to avoid acetone nail polish removers. Non-acetone nail polish remover, on the other hand, doesn't have these problems, but it's just not as efficient.

One other issue related to nail polish remover is that of fume inhalation. While some accidentally inhale nail polish remover, there are others who actually do it on purpose. 

If you work in a nail salon, or if you've spent a lot of time in a nail salon, you know that it often has the smell of different toxic chemicals. One of the chemicals used frequently is nail polish remover, and in a poorly ventilated salon, you may find yourself inhaling more of its fumes than you should.

The acetone in nail polish removers can especially be dangerous to one's health, as the chemicals in it can damage your kidneys, brain, and nervous system, writes Medical News Today. Even though the clear and colorless chemical can either be natural or man made, exposure to it can irritate the eyes or skin, and long term exposure to acetone can damage your eyes permanently.

According to Bee Naturals, the dangers of inhaling acetone nail polish remover also include dizziness, sneezing, loss of consciousness, and even severe cough.

For people who use it as a high, nail polish remover has been classified as an inhalant, and the side effects of it include lightheadedness and slurred speech, Very Well Mind writes.